


my love like a quiet whisper

by owilde



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: A whole lot of swearing, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coming Out, F/F, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, POV Alternating, Prompt Fill, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000, or that's what i was going for, this got out of hand really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-07-24 04:35:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7494030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owilde/pseuds/owilde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maureen closed her eyes briefly, sighing. Why was this happening to her? She never wanted to have an unrequited crush on her friend's sister. She just wanted to graduate and go to university out of town, meet a cute girl there, maybe never come out to her mom, pretend she had a boyfriend when she had to come home for Christmas–</p><p>Her eyes flew open when Rebecca cleared her throat, the ready-made cappuccino in her hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	my love like a quiet whisper

**Author's Note:**

> For the Shadowhunters femslash fic exhange [livejournal prompt](http://pineapplebooks.livejournal.com/1040.html) : _coffee shop au, maureen/rebecca_ by **anonymous**
> 
> Listen. I started writing this, thinking, 'oh this could be a cute little fic'. Well. That got a bit out of hand, then?
> 
> Find me on tumblr @ **alexcnderbane**.
> 
> Also, un-beta'd.

> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _fangsman_ [3:04pm] you're a dirty liar simon lewis
> 
> **From** : _fangsman_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [3:05pm] what??
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _fangsman_ [3:05pm] don't play innocent w/ me i'll tell raphael
> 
> **From** : _fangsman_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [3:06pm] wait hey no let's not go there buddy
> 
> **From** : _fangsman_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [3:06pm] okay so maybe i knew rebecca worked there when i recommended the cafe
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _fangsman_ [3:07pm] ur the worst friend i'm telling raph u used to borrow my lipstick
> 
> **From** : _fangsman_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [3:07pm] 1) nowadays i borrow raph's lipstick so ???
> 
> **From** : _fangsman_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [3:08pm] 2) just chill, it'll be fine, she likes u
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _fangsman_ [3:08pm] likes me or LIKES likes me tho
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _fangsman_ [3:09pm] simon?
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _fangsman_ [3:09pm] fine, i can handle this

Maureen looked up from her phone, sighing. She couldn't handle this. Of course this would happen to her, _of course_. Trust Simon to want to play a matchmaker. She slumped down lower in her booth at the back of the café, keeping an eye on the counter.

Rebecca was there, her hair pulled up to a neat ponytail that curled over her shoulder. She kept glancing at the current customer with a smile while making their coffee, and Maureen pouted against her will. Then she mentally slapped herself for being so irrational. She wasn't supposed to feel _jealous_. Then again, she wasn't supposed to do a whole lot of things, and that didn't seem to stop her.

 _Just go up there and ask for a cappuccino_ , she thought to herself sternly. _It'll be fine_.

With a resigned sigh Maureen got up, sliding out of the booth. She clutched her wallet tightly in her right hand as she walked up to the counter, settling in line behind someone else. Her foot tapped the floor nervously while she waited.

She was going to kill Simon, seriously. She had no clue how to kill a vampire, but she'd figure it out. She could google it. Maureen was supposed to be here to study in peace and quiet, but she'd hardly be able to concentrate on calculating vectors when Rebecca was _right there_.

Suddenly, the previous customer moved out of the way, and Rebecca's blinding smile was directed right at Maureen, who found herself blinking rapidly as her well prepared _one cappuccino, please_ , slipped right out of her mind. Her eyes fell on the black ink peeking from under Rebecca's shirt.

"You have a tattoo," she blurted out, then flushed. "I mean, um. I'd– I'd like a coffee, thank you. Cappuccino. Please."

Rebecca gave her an amused smile. "Hey, Maureen. I didn't see you coming in," she said while leaning away from the counter to prepare the coffee. "And I do have a tattoo, nice of you to notice," she added, her back now turned to Maureen.

Maureen closed her eyes briefly, sighing. Why was this happening to her? She never wanted to have an unrequited crush on her friend's sister. She just wanted to graduate and go to university out of town, meet a cute girl there, maybe never come out to her mom, pretend she had a boyfriend when she had to come home for Christmas–

Her eyes flew open when Rebecca cleared her throat, the ready-made cappuccino in her hand. "That'd be five dollars," she told her, her eyes scanning Maureen's face with a slight frown. "Are you alright? You kind of spaced out."

Maureen fished out the dollars from her wallet, attempting a smile. "I'm fine," she assured her. "Thanks for the coffee."

Then she slipped away back to her booth, the hot coffee burning her skin through the cup. The thought of her mother refused to leave her mind, her disapproving sneer haunting her. Her mom didn't know anything, and if Maureen had her way, she never would. It'd be better to continue their peaceful co-existent like this, rather than throw everything completely off the rails. Yet…

Maureen was pulled out of her musings when suddenly Rebecca was standing by her table, sliding to sit down opposite to her the next second. She rested her chin on her palm, her eyes fixed on Maureen. "Spill it."

Maureen frowned in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

Rebecca waved her hand flippantly. "My shift would end in five, anyway," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Now, spill it. What's bothering you?"

Maureen bit her lip. This wasn't the type of conversation she wanted to be having with Rebecca, but she knew that she'd be in a sour mood for the rest of the day if she didn't get this out of her system. She decided to bite the bullet. "I was just thinking about my mom," Maureen admitted. She sipped her coffee – the hot liquid burned her tongue.

"What about her?" Rebecca asked, tilting her head. As if sensing Maureen's hesitation, she continued. "I know you'd probably rather talk about this with Simon or Clary. I get it. But I care about you too, you know."

Maureen felt warmth radiating from her chest, and she was fairly certain it had nothing to do with the coffee.

"It's kind of silly, really. It's just that she doesn't know that I'm– "

Maureen paused, realizing that neither did Rebecca.

"Doesn't know that you're what?" Rebecca encouraged her to go on.

"That I'm not straight," Maureen continued with determination, "and I don't think she can know. She'd freak the fuck out, and I still have to live under her roof for the next half a year."

Rebecca nodded thoughtfully. "Are you sure she'd freak out?" She then asked. "I mean, when I told my mom that I'm gay she just mumbled something about never getting grandchildren, but that was about it."

Maureen barely resisted the temptation to jump up and dance around, but she couldn't help the wide grin that took over her face. "Yeah, but your mom didn't even blink an eye when Simon came home after two months of silence just to announce that he was a vampire now and that he had a boyfriend," she reminded Rebecca, who smiled sheepishly.

"Fair point. But who knows, maybe your mom might be alright with it," she shrugged one shoulder. "Then again, maybe not. You can't know for sure unless you come out, and doing that can be really fucking terrifying."

Maureen nodded, sipping her coffee. It wasn't scolding hot anymore.

"My shift's ended," Rebecca remarked, glancing at the clock. She sounded disappointed. "But…" She seemed to hesitate, then she grabbed a napkin and scribbled something on to it quickly. "Here's my number, in case you ever need to talk. Or even if you don't. Feel free to hit me up anytime."

Then she slid out of the booth and disappeared back to the kitchen. Maureen stared after her for a few second, then carefully folded the napkin in half and put it in her bag with a smile.

**…**

Rebecca heard the familiar ring of a bell that signaled a new customer, and lifted her head from the magazine she'd been reading. "Good morning, how can I– "

She stopped, seeing who was standing in front of her. "Maureen, hey! How's it going?"

Maureen seemed out of breath, her hair tied up in a haphazard bun. She slammed a tenner on the table. "Give me your largest fucking coffee, please," she asked – if Rebecca were to say _pleaded_ she wouldn't have been completely off – and then slumped against the counter, her head falling to rest on the surface. Rebecca stared at her for a while, noticing the way a few wisps of hair escaped the bun and rested on the nape of her neck.

Then she shook her head, snapping out of it.

"One large coffee, coming right up," Rebecca promised, taking the bill and putting the change on the table. "So, what's got you so worked up at–" Rebecca glanced at the clock, "-seven in the morning?"

Maureen mumbled something inaudible, then raised her voice. "Simon," she whined, as if that would explain everything. It sort of did, really.

"What's he done now?" Rebecca asked absentmindedly as she poured the coffee into a cup. On a whim, she drew a little heart on the side of it.

"He's been giving relationship advice," Maureen grumbled. She lifted her head just as Rebecca placed the coffee next to the change, taking the cup and leaving the coins. "Keep it," she muttered.

Rebecca collected the cents, and dropped them into the box labelled ' _steal the tips and I'll tap you over the head with a hammer'_. It hadn't been her idea. "Relationship advice, huh?" She questioned.

Maureen hummed, blowing at the coffee to cool it. "Because he's such an expert, right?"

Rebecca chuckled. Her brother was next to hopeless when it came to dating – she still remembered all the texts he'd had her write to various people in his teens. "Yeah, definitely. Who's he advising, then?"

Mentally, she crossed her fingers for it to not be Maureen.

"Clary," Maureen sighed. Apparently she deemed her coffee cool enough, and took a sip. "She's crushing on Simon's boyfriend's best friend's boyfriend's sister."

Rebecca blinked. "Run that by me again?"

Maureen grimaced. "Yep. Now you know why I needed this," she said, lifting her cup. Her eyes fell on the doodled heart for the first time, and she smiled. "Cute."

Rebecca definitely did not blush. "Wait, so, who's Clary crushing on?" She asked, steering the topic of the conversation away from the dangerous waters they were treading.

"Some girl called Isabelle. You know Simon's boyfriend, right? Raphael?"

Rebecca nodded, recalling all the times Raphael had stopped by for tea with Simon.

"Yeah, so, Raphael's best friend is called Magnus – what kind of name, right? Anyway, apparently he's like some kind of a wizard or some weird shit like that. And he has a boyfriend, Alex or something, who's Isabelle's brother. And Clary is head over heels for Isabelle."

Rebecca nodded slowly. "Right. And Simon's been giving Clary advice on how to approach this Isabelle?"

"Yeah, but you know Simon; his advice is about as solid as ice during summer. So now Clary turned on to _me_ for help."

Rebecca hummed in understanding. "Tricky."

Maureen took her phone out of her pocket, unlocking it. She scrolled for a while, then turned the phone around and placed it on the counter with the screen facing up. "Go ahead," she said.

Rebecca read the texts.

> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [5:30am] maureen help simon is being unhelpful as shit
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [6:10am] clary why the fuck are u awake this early
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [6:10am] i couldn't sleep i need advice
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [6:10am] how is simon being "unhelpful as shit"
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [6:11am] attached file: IMG013973.jpeg
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [6:11am] ohh i see. typical simon then
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [6:12am] yea, and so i need ur help instead
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [6:12am] how do i ask a girl out maureen Help

Rebecca slid the phone back across the counter. "Tricky," she repeated. "Did you help her?"

Maureen drank the rest of her coffee, then shrugged. "Kind of. I told her to go for it, tell her how she feels and see where it goes from there. Keep it simple. Don't go overboard, and don't do any of the things Simon suggested."

Rebecca wondered briefly if this method also applied to Maureen, herself. "Sounds good to me," she said out loud.

"What about you, then?" Maureen asked, and Rebecca choked on air.

"What about me?"

"Well, you know," Maureen leaned her elbows on the counter, grinning lopsidedly. "Got anyone of your own?"

Rebecca's mind screamed _Panic! Panic! Abort mission!_

"Um," she started, fiddling with the hem of her apron, "no one. I'm, uh, very much single. The single pringle, they call me," she chuckled nervously. Then she frowned, realizing her words. "I don't know what the fuck single pringle is supposed to mean."

Maureen threw her head back in laughter, the sound filling the otherwise empty café. Rebecca's heart did weird flips and started pounding against her rib cage.

"So you're unattached, just like me," Maureen said once her laughter had died away, a smile still playing at her lips. "Good."

Rebecca raised a brow. "Don't you dare quote _Sherlock_ at me," she warned, "because if we go there, I will not stop talking for at least an hour."

Maureen's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Maybe I don't want you to stop talking, then," she threw back.

Rebecca felt her cheeks warm up. Was that flirting? That had to be flirting, right? "Are you flirting with me?" She blurted out, and Maureen's smile widened.

"Maybe I am," she shrugged. "We'll just have to–"

Maureen's phone pinged, and she turned to look at it. "Oh, it's Clary. Apparently she successfully got herself a date, and she needs help with clothes." She shot Rebecca an apologetic look. "I gotta go, I'll talk to you later."

Then she was out the door and running down the street.

Rebecca's smile didn't disappear for the rest of the day.

**…**

Maureen was sitting in the café, her laptop resting on the table. The cursor kept blinking at her as the page remained blank. She was supposed to start drafting her essay – she was supposed to have started drafting it a week ago, to be honest – and her mind was being unusually uncooperative. She sighed, reaching for her tea, only to find it had gone cold.

"Cold tea, unfinished essay," she mumbled to herself. She glanced at the street outside, and saw people opening their umbrellas. "And it's fucking raining. Of course."

"Who are you talking to?"

Maureen nearly jumped out of her skin, squealing. "Rebecca!" She hissed, putting her hand against her beating chest. "Don't do that."

Rebecca merely laughed, sitting down and offering her a new cup of tea along with a plate of chocolate chip cookies, both which Maureen took without complaining. "Sorry," Rebecca said, not sounding sorry at all. "I saw you hadn't touched your cup in a while, thought you might need a refill."

"Well, you weren't wrong," Maureen muttered, eyeing her essay – or the lack of it, more like. "I've been busy staring at this blank page."

Rebecca leaned over the table to look at her laptop's screen, her hair gently brushing Maureen's arm. Seeing the empty document, she snorted, leaning away. "Doing great, I see," she said teasingly.

Maureen grimaced. "Yeah, just brilliant."

Rebecca stole one of the cookies she'd brought, trying, and failing, to not get any crumbs on her shirt. "What's your topic, then?" She asked through her chewing.

Maureen scrunched up her nose. "Is that a disgusting habit learned from Simon? And my assignment's supposed to be three thousand words about, and I quote, 'any chosen event or events from the Second World War and to what extent they affected the ultimate outcome of the war'."

Maureen wiped her mouth with the hem of her sleeve, taking a sip of the cold tea. "No, it's a disgusting habit Si learned from me." She grinned proudly, though Maureen didn't see how teaching someone to speak while they're chewing was something to be boastful of. "And the essay sounds like fun," she continued earnestly.

"It _is_ fun," Maureen agreed. "If I could just figure out how to start this. And which events to take. And– "

"You're stuck, I get it," Rebecca laughed. "Maybe I could help?" She suggested.

"That'd be nice." Maureen looked over at the counter, where another employer was now working. "Does no one around here care that you seem to never actually work?"

For some reason, Rebecca blushed. She quickly stuffed another cookie in her mouth. "You're distrachting," she mumbled. At Maureen's confused look, she swallowed the rest of her cookie and turned to look at a fallen crumb on the table like it was the most fascinating thing on earth. "I said, 'you're distracting'," she repeated.

Maureen opened her mouth, then closed it. "That's–" _really fucking cute, does that mean she likes me as well, oh my god, what the fuck do I say_ , "–compelling."

Rebecca lifted her head, looking thoroughly confounded. " _Compelling_?" She asked.

Maureen tried to go for a nonchalant shrug. "It's a word," she muttered, sipping her tea. It tasted like mint, and Maureen wondered if Rebecca had added it there just for her. Probably not.

Rebecca was still looking slightly bewildered, and Maureen decided a change of subject was in place. "So, um, about the essay?"

Rebecca blinked. "The essay– yeah, of course," she mumbled. She stood up, going around the table and making a shooing motion towards Maureen. "Make room for me."

Maureen did, and Rebecca sat down next to her, their legs pressing together. Maureen felt her breath catch as Rebecca leaned closer, dragging the laptop so that it was placed in a way that allowed them both to see the screen properly.

"So," Rebecca started, and Maureen could _feel_ how close she was. "You have any idea which events you'll talk about?"

Maureen cleared her throat. "Not really," she admitted.

"Well, let's start working on that, then."

They spend the rest of the afternoon coming up with ideas and drafting them, and by the time Rebecca's co-worker yelled at her to come back to work, Maureen's previously blank page was starting to look somewhat decent.

"Thanks for the help," she said as Rebecca got up and collected the tea cups. "Seriously."

Rebecca smiled. "It's no problem." A string of hair escaped her ponytail, and Rebecca huffed in frustration. "Would you mind?" She asked, trying to blow the stray hairs out of her face with limited success.

Maureen got up as well, hoisting her bag on her shoulder. She reached out, carefully tucking Rebecca's hair behind her ear. Their eyes locked, and Rebecca smiled gently. "Thanks," she whispered.

"It's no problem," Maureen echoed her earlier words.

"Hey, Rebecca, drag your ass over here!" Someone yelled from the counter, and Rebecca blinked and leaned away. Maureen realized she'd stopped breathing for a moment.

"Talk to you later," Rebecca said to Maureen, then turned around and yelled, "Coming!"

Maureen watched as she sauntered to the kitchen.

Then she took a deep breath, shaking her head.

Later that evening, she texted Clary.

> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:54pm] claryclaryclaryclary
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:54pm] h e l p
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [7:54pm] what? are u dying?? did u kill someone??
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:55pm] ??? no??
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:55pm] u know how i helped you out with izzy
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:55pm] i think i'm having Serious Feelings
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:55pm] what do i do
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [7:56pm] is this about rebecca?
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:56pm] well yea. she helped me with my essay today. i touched her hair. i felt we had a special something
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [7:56pm] you need to stop watching Sherlock, seriously
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [7:57pm] but i don't see the problem?
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:57pm] the problem, clare, is that i don't know what to do about this
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [7:57pm] just ask her out
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [7:57pm] "go for it"
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [7:58m] "tell her how you feel and see how it goes"
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:58pm] did you just fucking quote me to myself
> 
> **From** : _clarebear_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [7:58pm] yea
> 
> **From** : _maureenrocks_ **to** : _clarebear_ [7:58pm] ur not helping

**…**

Rebecca was just closing up the café when her phone rang, the sound echoing around the empty room. She sighed, dropping the keys on the table and propping herself to sit on the counter.

She picked up her phone.

_Incoming call from: maureen <3_

Rebecca quirked an eyebrow, taking the call. "Hello?"

"Rebecca?" Maureen asked with a trembling voice.

"What's going on?" Rebecca's brows creased in worry. Her head began to fill with all possible worst case scenarios of what could've happened.

"I– I came out, to my mom," Maureen told, her voice breaking. Rebecca heard the sounds of traffic in the background. "She didn't–"

A quiet sob cut off her words, and Rebecca felt a painful tug at her heart. "It's alright," she tried to reassure her. "It's going be alright. Where are you? Just, come over to the café, I'm still here. Okay?"

"Okay," Maureen agreed shakily. "I'll be there in five." Then the line beeped as she hung up.

Rebecca stared unblinking at her phone until the screen faded to black. Then she sprang into action, swinging her legs over the counter and hopping down on the other side.

She turned on the water boiler, snatching two cups from the shelf and putting tea bags in both of them. As an afterthought she added mint leaves to the other one.

"Right," she murmured to herself, tapping her fingers against the table as she waited for the water to boil. "You can handle this."

Truthfully, Rebecca wasn't so sure if she could. She'd never had to deal with a situation like this before; she was scared she'd say the wrong thing and scare Maureen off.

The boiler clicked, the loud humming it had made slowly subsiding. Rebecca poured water to both cups, and put them down on a table just as she heard the door open behind her. She turned around to see Maureen stand by the entrance, soaking wet. She hadn't realized it'd been raining.

"Maureen?" She asked carefully, taking a step closer. Maureen remained glued to her spot, her lips quivering slightly. Rebecca wasn't sure how to proceed. "Maureen," she tried again, "are you oka–"

"She wants me out of the house," Maureen interrupted. She looked down at the floor, shaking her head. "It was so stupid of me to assume anything else," she mumbled bitterly, staring at her shoes.

Deciding that words weren't going to do any good at the moment, Rebecca closed the distance between them, throwing her arms around Maureen in a hug. For a moment Maureen didn't move a muscle. Then she seemed to melt against Rebecca, her head coming to rest against her shoulder and her arms sneaking around her waist. They stayed like that for a while, until Maureen's body stopped shaking.

"Listen," Rebecca whispered. She could feel Maureen's heart beating. "You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to. But I want you to know that you did nothing wrong. You're not stupid or silly, alright? You're the sweetest, funniest person I know, and if anyone thinks otherwise they're out of their mind."

She heard a muffled chuckle, faint and weak but a chuckle nevertheless. "Thank you," Maureen whispered back. Slowly, she untangled herself from Rebecca's hold, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Oh, fuck," she sniffled. "My eyeliner's all sorts of fucked now, isn't it?" She asked, staring at the smudge on her skin.

Rebecca sighed in relief. Swearing was good – swearing meant this situation could be fixed. "Looks fine to me," she assured her. She bit her lip, then reached out to take Maureen's hand in hers, tugging her towards the table where she'd put down their cups. "I made tea," she announced, trying hard not to think of how _right_ it felt to be holding hands with Maureen. "Yours is the one with mint leaves," she added.

They sat down, Rebecca's fingers still intertwined with Maureen's. _Just for comfort_ , she told herself. _It doesn't mean anything_. Even to herself, she didn't sound very convincing.

Maureen took her cup with her free hand, adamantly staring at the mints swirling around the surface. She sipped the tea, putting the cup back down on the table. Then she looked up at Rebecca, taking a deep breath. "It wasn't even supposed to happen," she started.

Rebecca opened her mouth to tell her she didn't have to do this now, but Maureen lifted a hand to hush her.

"I want to tell you, alright? Just, let me talk. Please."

Rebecca nodded.

"Right. So I was watching TV with mom, just having a normal night in. And she started asking stuff, you know. Like, how's life, how's school, how're my friends, that kind of thing. I told her that Clary and Simon are both dating now, and she kind of– like, shut off? And I kept asking her what's wrong, and she kept deflecting it, until eventually she said she'd heard rumours that Clary was dating Isabelle. And I said yeah, that's right, and that they're very happy together."

She paused to drink her tea again.

"And she just... flipped, I guess. Made this whole speech about how wrong and offensive she thought it was, or some rubbish like that." Maureen grimaced at the memory, and Rebecca squeezed her fingers in comfort. She shot her a smile, before continuing. "I couldn't take it anymore. So I asked her if she'd still think it was offensive and wrong if _I_ were ever to date a girl. She said yes, she would, but that I wouldn't do that, right? And I just… I told her. That I might end up dating a girl. That I've had feelings for girls before. I told her it doesn't change anything, that it's still _me_ –" Her voice cracked, and she was silent for a while. She took a shuddering breath, finishing the sentence. "She said, 'of course it's going to change things'. And then she asked me to leave. Said she had to... had to think about it. So I left. And called you."

They sat in silence, the only sound coming from the rain thudding softly against the window.

"Maybe she just really needs to think about it," Rebecca suggested quietly after a while. "I'm not saying what she did was right, not by far, and I'm trying very hard not to call your mother some very ugly names."

Maureen snorted. "Yeah, me too. Trust me."

"But," Rebecca continued, "my advice would be to give it some time. She needs some adjusting. She'll come around. And if she doesn't, then fuck her."

Maureen laughed weakly. "Yeah, you're right. We both just need some space right now." She looked at Rebecca, smiling nervously. "I'm glad I have you."

Rebecca's stomach fluttered. "I'm glad I have you, too."

**...**

"Simon," Maureen whispered to her phone, "I need your help right fucking now."

She heard a sleepy groan at the other end of the line, then a loud yawn. "What is it?" Simon finally mumbled.

Maureen took a deep breath, pacing around in a small circle. She was hiding in the café's bathroom, and she was getting increasingly more worried about the state of the place; the fluorescent lights kept flickering on and off, and she could swear she'd seen a cockroach earlier.

"I've been calling you for the past ten minutes, where have you been?" Before Simon could answer, she shook her head and continued. "Actually no, that's not important right now." She paused, biting her lip. "I'm going to ask your sister out."

At the other end of the line there was a loud _thud_ , and a string of Spanish curses. " _What_?" Simon hissed.

"You speak Spanish?" Maureen frowned, taken aback.

"Yeah, Raphael's been teaching– no, you know what, that's not important now. You're finally going to do it?"

Maureen stopped her pacing, staring at the door. "What do you mean 'finally'?"

"I've been trying to set you two up for _ages_ , Maureen, damn. Is this why you called me?"

"Yeah," Maureen admitted, resuming her pacing. "You know her better than anyone; do I ask her out for coffee or movies?"

There was a silence, during which Maureen started biting her nails.

"Coffee," Simon decided after a while, "definitely coffee."

Maureen dragged her hand over her face, sighing. "Alright. Thanks," she said, and then disconnected.

She could do this. Just walk up to the counter, all calm and collected, and ask her out. _Easy_. No problem. She wasn't nervous at _all_.

As Maureen stepped out of the bathroom, her phone pinged with a new text.

> **From** : _fangsman_ **to** : _maureenrocks_ [5:22pm] let me know how it goes!! :):) I'M SURE SHE'LL SAY YES
> 
> **From** :  _fangsman_ **to** :  _maureenrocks_ [5:22pm] raphael wishes u good luck

She couldn't do this. Fuck.

But Maureen's feet involuntarily moved on their own accord, and she found herself walking up the counter despite her mind yelling at her to stop and walk out. Rebecca turned around as she arrived, grinning.

"Maureen, hi. What can I do for you?"

Maureen gulped nervously. Rebecca frowned. "Maureen?"

"Coffee. With me," Maureen choked out, before taking a deep breath. "Um. Will you go out for a coffee, with me? Later?"

Rebecca's brows flew up, her mouthing forming a surprised 'o'. Maureen wanted to run away. This was a bad idea, wasn't it? It definitely was. Rebecca would probably say no, it'd be embarrassing as all hell, _god_ , she shouldn't even be doing this–

"Alright," Rebecca said, then she smiled hesitantly, blushing faintly. "Yeah. I'd love to."

Maureen stared, blinking. "What?"

Rebecca's smile turned into a grin. "I said I'd love to," she repeated.

"Oh," Maureen said. "Oh, I didn't think you'd actually– okay. That's, that's good. Alright, then. I'll, um, I'll text you later?"

The last part came off as a question, and Rebecca nodded, still grinning. "You do that. Want a coffee to go, now?"

Maureen managed a nod. She started to look for her wallet when Rebecca reached over the counter, wrapping her fingers around Maureen's wrist. "On the house," she promised, before letting go. Maureen felt her skin tingle.

 _You're being ridiculous_ , she thought to herself as she watched Rebecca make her coffee. _This is ridiculous._

Rebecca turned around, pushing a cup to Maureen's hands and ignoring her complaints of wanting to pay for it. "You can pay for my coffee on that date, and we'll be even," she said, and Maureen blushed, closing her mouth before finishing her sentence about it being absurd for her to get a free coffee.

Later, when she inspected the cup closer, she noticed a small doodle at the bottom of it.

_Looking forward to that date xoxo_

Maureen couldn't help but grin.


End file.
